A study conducted by specialists at Binghamton University and published in the scientific journal Cerebral Cortex determined that memory impairments do not only appear in old age, but also show clear signs in middle age..
The study assessed associative episodic memory, responsible for linking elements of the same experience, in a group of 61 people divided into young people aged 18 to 30, adults aged 50 to 60, and older adults aged 61 to 74.In the recognition tests, young people achieved a 36% success rate, while the middle-aged group obtained 24% and the older adult group 20%..
The researchers specified that the statistical performance between people aged 50 to 60 and the older age group showed no relevant differences. Furthermore, using magnetic resonance imaging, They found that these variations are accompanied by altered hippocampal function.
Specialists analyze middle age
"This is one of a growing list of studies highlighting that middle age is a crucial period for memory function and should not be ignored," said Ian McDonough, associate professor of psychology at Binghamton and co-author of the research, quoted by Wired.
The specialist added that "some of these hippocampal processes begin to deteriorate as early as middle age. This suggests that middle age is truly a point of transition.".
The authors noted that the analysis had limitations because it did not include people between 30 and 50 years old or conduct longitudinal follow-up over decades; however, they confirmed that changes in associative ability are detectable before old age..
